John p



J. P. DOWD.

GRAB BUCKET. APPLICATION man my 19, 1921.

wltness:

His Afte 1- Patented May 9, 1922.

the present invention is more Figure III is an enlar UNITED STA res PATENT OFFICE.

semi 1'. Down, or CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE BROWN nors'rrne mesm- 1 mm COMPANY, OF onnvnnannomo, A CORPORATION.

GRAB meme.

Application filed m 19,

Tosall u ftq rnz't mar concern Be a known an 1, JOHN P. Down, a an- Yien of the United States, residing at the city of Cleveland,in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Grab Buckets, asto which the following is a sufficiently full, clear, and enact deseriptionto enable any one skilled in the art to WlllClilt relates tom ke anduse the same without other particular information uponthe subject. up The im rovementrelates more especially to, grab uckets of the heavy, duty type whosedigging or spade members are controlled by avertically oscillated crosshead. In this type the arms of, the spadenlembers are pivotally connected to the crosshead, and the spade members themselves are supported by means of links that are pivotally attached thereto and also to the bucket-frame or shell. v, a u i M Buckets of the type and for the uses in question should combine a maximum of strength with a minimum of weight, and, also, have a constructural principle that permits of the easy and quick assembling of the parts, and, on need of replacements or repairs, of the ready dismantling of the same, by the separation of all the units involved.

To the production of a grab bucket that is exceptionallycharacterized in these respects, particularly directed.

i In the drawings Figure I is aside elevation of-one-half of a bucket of the class referred to. It discloses a spade and one of the links as connectedto the bucket frame and crosshead. Figure II'is a front view on the lines 1, 1 in Fig. I, the links and bracingdetails being rendered in full lines, and, the bucket and spade parts, in section. ed view of the left hand details shown in igure II. a 2 indicates thebucket frame, 3 the usual. spade or digging, members, and 4: the spadearms pivotally connected to-the vertically oscillated crosshead ,5,by a pin 6. v

The foregoing parts being familiar to those ac uainted wi h the art concerned, it is thoug t that no particular descriptions will be required herein except as such other special parts or members, WllOSG corelation with said parts in the mode prescribe, make up the improvement claimed.

In such description, it is to be Observed,

no e of Specificationof Letters Patent. Patented May 9,

1921. serial 1%. 485,819.

that, in theplace of the heavy and unwieldy tla-oughi s that have heretofore been employed to stifi'en the spade-arms in certain buckj t forms, and to supportand serve as the axes of the link members in every form, I provide a distinct unitary link connection or piece '7, which performs all the funcsaid through-pin combinations, but, at the r esome, is lighter, and, more readily assembled, or, taken apart as occasion requires.

Said unitary piece or connection 7, is made up and consists of the following constituent members, namely: right and left links, 8, for each spade of the bucket, consisting of two hollow horizontally related trunnion or hub-members 8" and 8", joined or otherwise connected together by a web-like section 8, which, in the drawings, has an I-shaped cross-section. The relative width of such web-section should be about half the length of the hubs, and its junction lines with the trunnion or hub members, should terminate near their ends, thereby leaving a sufficient portion of the hubs, toward their other ends, free to engage axle-bushings 15, and 16, on respectively, the frame 2, and the spadearms-4. As a means of positively holding the links 8,6, in their places, and at the same time, stiffening the spades 3, I suspend between said links, frame-piece or bracing 9, made up of upper and lower horizontally arranged angles 10, duly riveted at their ends to cross-plates 11, 11 for the purpose. ()n the upper side and at each end of the bracing 9, an angle 12 havin a pinhole 13 therethrcuigh, is fastened, an on the lower side of the same, at each end, bent bars 1 having pinholes 13 are located.

The diameters of said pinholes are the same as those of horizontal bolt holes in the trunnions 8 and 8, and, the several parts of the bracing are so arranged, that, when the links 8 are in their operative places, said bracing 9 may be interposed between and against the trunnion members, with the holes 12-3, in the angles 12, in alignment with the holes in the trunnion members 8, and the holes 13, in the bent bars 14, in alignment and registering with the holes in the trunnionmembers 8 At suitable points. respectively, on the bucket frame 2, and the spade-arms 4, holes are made to receive axle-bushingsfor the trunnions or hubs 8 and 8*. In practice such bushings for the link-members in said ther 13 and'13 being neat parts of the bracing buckets, -should be of manganese steel, or other superhard material in order to resist the destructive action of dust from the limestone, coal, ore or sand with which such grabs are used. Said bushings are riveted respectively, tothe bucket frame and the spade arms, and are denoted in the figures by 15 and 16.

Their holes' may, preferably, be

given diameters one-sixteenth larger than the diameters of the trunnions 8 and 8 in bearing within the same. Bolts 17 and 17,

are provided tofpass through the trun'nions :8 andB and the angles and bent bars 12 and 1+1, on the bracing 9, and, inasmuch, as e will be no binding strain on said bolts,

but their sole function will be to hold the the bracing together, they quired for such purpose alone.

It willzbe understood, that in the improve ment described, the only machining required isin boring the holes I I for said bushings in the bucket-frame and spade-arms, the holes punched when the compoframe-member 0r bracing ,9 are punched for rivets.

' In order to assemble said parts and me1nbers in thei places as said unitary link-connection, the free ends of the trunnion 8 and 8?, on the right "and left members of each pair of links, are duly journaled within the bushings 15 and 16, respectively, and the 9 being then interposed between said pair, with the holes 13 and 13 in alignment 'as'hereinbefore explained, the bolts 17 and 17 'are respectively passed through the holes n said trunnions 8 and 8 and the angles 12 and the bent bars 14;. lVhen now nuts '18 and 18 are tightly screwed upon the inner ends of said bolts the pair of links 8 and 8,andtheinterposed frame-piece or bracing 9 111 fl b b me firmly joined together into andto form the unitary link connection designed.

The reverse of said process will, of course, be followed, Whenever it is necessary to dismantle the portion of the bucket involved, for the replacement of the spades, or by reason of other exigencies of services, and, as it is thought with a minimum expenditure of time or effort. i It will be manifest that the idea upon is based is not limited to the special application of the same shown. and described. Such form is made up of certain particular parts whose assemblage' as pointed out have proved highly satisfactory in practice, but the invention covered by the application, would equally be included in a link connection, although such parts were varied in shape or adaptation in order to realize the common end. Except as trunnion members, or instead of a trunnion member on both ends of the link, the link might be bifurcated at the lower end so as to pivotally engage the spade-arms between its forks, or, the bracing essential to hold the links against lateral displacement, might be removably connected to the links at points intermediate of the ends, without, in any such cases, departing from the idea or principle of the improvement as more broadly claimed herein.

,What I claim and wish to secure by Let ters Patent is:

1. In a grab bucket having spades with spade-arms pivotally connected to a cross head therein, a unitary link-connection between the bucket frame and said spades, comprising the combination of links provided with trunnions at their upper ends, axle bearings for said trunnions on the bucket-frame, means for pivotally connecting the lower ends of said links to said spades, and means for securing said links against lateral movement when the ends of the links are in said bearing and pivoted relations, with, respectively said frame and. said spade, said means consisting of a framelike member between, and removably connected to, said links so placed, all substantially as shown and described.

2. In a grab bucket, having a frame, a vertically oscillated crosshead centrally lo cated therein, and a spade provided with oppositely related spade-arms pivotally connected to said cross-head, the combination of links having t'runnions at the ends thereof journaled, respectively, in said frame and said spade, and a bracing member between and removably connected to said links, substantially as shown and described' 3. In a grab bucket having a frame, a vertically oscillated cross-head therein, and a spade provided with oppositely related spade-arms pivotally connected to said crosshead, the combination of axle-bearings on said frame and said spade, links having hollow trunnions at the ends jonrnaled within said bearings, and a bracing-member between said links and bolted to the same by bolts passing through said trunnions and holes provided for the purpose, in said bracing-member, substantially as shown and described.

In witness whereof I have hereunto sulr scribed my name, at (llevelaml, Ohio, this 13th day of July,1921.

JOHN P. DO\VD.

Witnesses:

L. P. Lrrrs, M. B. MARTIN. 

